RSS Feed MenuThe shooting in Arizona shocked the nation into grief – and presented Sarah Palin with an immediate political problem: her now-notorious gunsight map.
Palin scrubbed the map from her Palin PAC website, and then issued the following statement on her Facebook page:
My sincere condolences are offered to the family of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and the other victims of today’s tragic shooting in Arizona. On behalf of Todd and my family, we all pray for the victims and their families, and for peace and justice.
Then, as Palin came under a barrage of criticism, Palin supporters stepped forward to offer defenses. The gunsights were not really gunsights. The criticism of Palin was unfair, even “obscene.”
And of course, Palin and her supporters had some justice on their side. Obviously, Palin never intended to summon people to harm Representative Giffords. There was no evidence that the shooter was a Palin follower, and in short order it became evident that he was actuated by a serious mental illness. Whatever you think about Palin’s “don’t retreat, reload” rhetoric, it could not be blamed for this crime.
So – argument won? No. Argument lost.
Palin failed to appreciate the question being posed to her. That question was not: “Are you culpable for the shooting?” The question was: “Having put this unfortunate image on the record, can you respond to the shooting in a way that demonstrates your larger humanity? And possibly also your potential to serve as leader of the entire nation?”
Here it seems to me are the elements of such an answer.
(1) Take the accusation seriously. That does not mean you accept the accusation, nor even that you explicitly acknowledge it. But understand why people – not all of them necessarily out to get you – might feel negatively about this past action in light of current events.
(2) Express real grief and sincere compassion. “My condolences are offered” is not the language of someone whose heart is much troubled.
(3) Be visible. They’re laying flowers at the congressional office of Gabrielle Giffords. Any reason you can’t join them?
(4) Join the conversation. You have often complained about out-of-bounds personal comments directed toward you (eg, David Letterman’s). Now try to show toward others the same empathy that you demand from others. Innocent as you feel yourself to be, try to imagine how it must have felt to be Giffords during this past campaign season: guns showing up at her rallies, her offices vandalized, death threats – and your map as the finishing touch. Imagine how her family must feel. Speak to them.
(5) Challenge your opponents. In the past hours, many people have cited President Obama’s (borrowed) line about bringing a knife to a gun fight. They have a point! At the same time as you publicly commit to raise your game, invite your political opponents to raise theirs. Instead of deflecting the blame, share it.
(6) Raise the issue of mental health. Remember how you were going to be an advocate for children with special needs? Can’t more be done to intervene to help potentially dangerous schizophrenics – and to protect society from the risk of violence? (Read this by Dr. Sally Satel to start your thinking on the subject. ) The best way to underscore that Loughner was not motivated by Tea Party ideology is to remind them of what did impel him.
(7) Think what you would like – not your supporters – but your opponents to say about you. “She was tough, but never a hater.” “No matter how strongly she disagreed, she was always gracious.” “I might not agree with her answer, but I could see she had thought hard about it.” Then, having thought about it, go be that person.
(8) Last: suppose you were president right now. The country would want you to say something about this terrible crime. What is that something? Say it now.
Of course, Palin has yet to give the answer called for by events. Instead, her rapid response operation has focused on pounding home the message that Palin is innocent, that she has been unfairly maligned by hostile critics. Which in this case happened to be a perfectly credible message. And also perfectly inadequate. Palin’s post-shooting message was about Palin, not about Giffords. It was defensive, not inspiring. And it was petty at a moment when Palin had been handed perhaps her last clear chance to show herself presidentially magnanimous.
SpartacusIsNotDead // Jan 11, 2011 at 1:27 am
less: “Verbally fencing with some of these people make me feel like King Arthur against the black knight, who after having his arms and legs chopped off still thinks he is a match.”
LOL.
SpartacusIsNotDead // Jan 11, 2011 at 1:33 am
habsfan: “A sad event led to bad policy because opposition to the gun registry was equivalent to endorsing the murder of innocent women. That is an example of what happens when tragedies become politicized.”
Of course, the attempted assassination of Reagan also led to the Brady Bill, which laid a foundation for the assault weapons ban, which placed a limit on the size of ammunition clips that could be sold, which, if still in place, most likely would have prevented the Tuscon gunman from shooting so many people.
So, yeah, let’s not learn anything from this experience and that way we may get to do this all over again.
Länkat & kommenterat 2011-01-11 — emretsson.net // Jan 11, 2011 at 6:33 am
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Stickeenotes // Jan 11, 2011 at 11:38 am
The body of a 9 year old little girl is not a political football, David. I think you need to step away and gain some perspective.
lessadoabouteverything // Jan 11, 2011 at 1:03 pm
kbky: You are also making the common mistake of equating every figure on the right. There is a huge difference between a Michelle Bachmann or Sarah Palin and a Lisa Murkowski or Bobby Jindal.
I absolutely agree with that, I have not equated every figure on the right, I like Mike Huckabee a lot, could never imagine him saying anything of this type of nonsense (I wouldn’t vote for him, but that is entirely different). Romney might say dumb things but I have not read him say evil things, the same with Jindal, Huntsmen, etc.
SpaceyG // Jan 11, 2011 at 1:38 pm
Even OJ knew better than to try to defend himself in court. Palin’s not that bright I guess.
Is Palin finished as a Prez hopeful? // Jan 11, 2011 at 4:01 pm
[...] or even be of the Opinion she is responsible for the shooting, Conservative Columnist David Frum What Palin Needed to Say After Giffords’ Shooting | FrumForum January 10th, 2011 The shooting in Arizona shocked the nation into grief – and presented [...]
STEVEM // Jan 11, 2011 at 5:10 pm
Simpy put, David Frum is infatuated with Sarah Palin and like the intellectual five year old that he is he routinely displays his affection via infantile albeit irrational hitpieces of this nature.
habsfan // Jan 11, 2011 at 9:19 pm
WillP Rock on!
Spartacus, the data does not support the arguement. Both the polytechnique and Dawson massacres were carried out by deranged individuals with legally controlled weapons. In the case of the Dawson, Kimvir Gil legally owned a controlled weapon and carried out the heinous crime. Going further back, Cpl Denis Lortie opened fire in the the provincial legislature with a submachine gun stolen from a military armoury. No amount of legislation will prevent lunatics from carrying out murders. Handguns have been banned since the 1930`s. Toronto was plagued with all sorts of gang related shootings leading to the death of innocent bystanders. These weapons are illegal…yet widely used and easily obtainable for the crimes that are commited with them.
I have had the opportunity to meet David Frum and the message he delivered to my students was one of respectful debate. Disagree with him surely, but do not make it personal. Many interveners disagreed with him, but no comments were ever made about his person. Our most liberal Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau is famous for explaining to his children that although he may have regulalry clashed in the House with the Leader of the opposition, that he respected him and was always curteous and polite when they met outside of the political world. Trudeau was intellectually scathing in the world of ideas, but gracious in the world of people…..
The Real Victim Is Always David Frum | Liberty Pundits Blog // Jan 11, 2011 at 11:56 pm
[...] Sarah Palin was “unhelpful” and “ungenerous”. Oh, I get it now. If only she had responded to being accused of being complicit in a mass murderer’s crime in a more mod…. Let’s go idea by idea and put them through the lens they’d be viewed by Frum and the [...]
WillyP // Jan 12, 2011 at 1:04 am
habsfan,
I met David Frum while at school in Montreal, actually. And damn right go Habs. Great, passionate team and fun fans!
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